Weather Tidbits: The Stages of Tropical Development

This edition of Weather Tidbits is going to be discussing the different stages of tropical development. Tropical cyclones must go through various stages of development before they can reach hurricane status. A tropical cyclone first starts off as a tropical depression. A tropical depression is a disorganized area of low pressure that produces a mass of tropical downpours and thunderstorms. This mass must maintain its identity for at least 24 hours. A tropical depression can then strengthen into a tropical depression. A tropical depression is an organized area of low pressure and is a tropical cyclone in which maximum sustained winds are less than or equal to 38 mph. A tropical depression can then strengthen into a tropical storm. It is at this point when the tropical cyclones are named. A tropical storm is a tropical cyclone in which sustained winds are between 39 and 73 mph. Finally, a tropical storm can then strengthen into a hurricane. A hurricane is a tropical cyclone in which maximum sustained winds are greater than or equal to 74 mph.